I've attended/participated in dozens of protest rallies, and marches throughout the years. The issues have been varied; against war; against banksters; against income inequality, evictions, and other injustices. Some of those were Occupy Wall Street rallies/marches in San Diego, San Francisco, Berkeley, and Oakland.
After all these years, and after having attended so many rallies, especially Occupy Wall Street rallies, I've come to understand why the the Powers That Be of the Corporate State do everything they can to disrupt the formation of a cohesive social justice movement.
What I've seen at every single one of these rallies is that there is a general understanding of the true nature of the system. When people come together in the public sphere, and talk to each other, they seem to quickly start to connect the dots as to the true nature of the system.
And for obvious reasons, the ruling elite sees this as a treat to their ability to brutally oppress, subjugate and enslave the population. Because the only way such a tiny group of people can exert control over the citizenry is by keeping people isolated, by controlling the media narrative through propaganda, by spreading lies and misinformation, and most of all, by convincing people that there is no viable alternative to the status quo, and if so, why even bother to rise up in opposition.
But in reality, that entire narrative is made up of lies. If we are being abused, it is because we have bought into the lies. The minute a large enough number (about 5%) of our fellow citizens decide not to buy into the lies, then the subjugation ends.
I've taken these photos and videos at some of the events I've attended. To me, being at these events is very inspirational because I know that they are signs of the (peaceful) rebellion to come... Once all these different groups decide to unite in solidarity and rise up against the Corporate State in a sustained (days, weeks, months, years) manner, the game is over. It will happen soon or later, and I hope to be there when it does.
Our Mission: No Evicton
Protest Rally/March Against Gentrification of the Mission District in San Francisco
Saturday, October 12th, 2013
The drums of rebellion:
A long line of warriors... Against injustice.
Community leader/activist Roberto Hernandez talks about the rally:
The drums of rebellion...
SEIU Rally in Support of Striking BART Workers
Friday, October 18th, 2013 - Lake Merritt BART Station
Occupy Oakland 2nd Anniversary Celebration/Rally
Thursday, October 10th, 2013 - Oscar Grant Plaza in Oakland
I took these two photos (below) during an Occupy Oakland rally in 2011
Chris Hedges: Let's Get This Class War Started
“The rich are different from us,” F. Scott Fitzgerald is said to have remarked to Ernest Hemingway, to which Hemingway allegedly replied, “Yes, they have more money.”
The exchange, although it never actually took place, sums up a wisdom Fitzgerald had that eluded Hemingway. The rich are different. The cocoon of wealth and privilege permits the rich to turn those around them into compliant workers, hangers-on, servants, flatterers and sycophants. Wealth breeds, as Fitzgerald illustrated in “The Great Gatsby” and his short story “The Rich Boy,” a class of people for whom human beings are disposable commodities. Colleagues, associates, employees, kitchen staff, servants, gardeners, tutors, personal trainers, even friends and family, bend to the whims of the wealthy or disappear. Once oligarchs achieve unchecked economic and political power, as they have in the United States, the citizens too become disposable.
~Snip~
The inability to grasp the pathology of our oligarchic rulers is one of our gravest faults. We have been blinded to the depravity of our ruling elite by the relentless propaganda of public relations firms that work on behalf of corporations and the rich. Compliant politicians, clueless entertainers and our vapid, corporate-funded popular culture, which holds up the rich as leaders to emulate and assures us that through diligence and hard work we can join them, keep us from seeing the truth.
The emphasis is mine
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